November traditionally marks No Tobacco Month. If the goal is to keep cigarettes away throughout November and well beyond, you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself in the event of relapserelapsewhether in a few days or in several months. Christiane Pochulu, vice-president of Respiratory Health France and Alliance Against Tobacco, explains why relapses into withdrawal are part of the process of stopping smoking.
Relapse is a painful experience for smokers. Statistics show that it occurs between 4 and 6 times during the quitting process. Addictologists even consider it to be part of the “adventure” of quitting smoking. Relapse is therefore the norm and not the exception. “ This term of adventure is well chosenexplains Christiane Pochulu, expert patient suffering from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), because each quit attempt represents an opportunity to learn and discover how to free yourself from nicotine. The day we stop for good, we rely on all of our past experiences ».
Relapses are not failures
As Christiane Pochulu assures, relapse during smoking cessation is neither a curse, nor a personal inability to quit, nor even a lack of will. It’s a step in the adventure. “ Perhaps a situation has trapped you, or a strong emotion has overwhelmed you: too much joy, sadness, stressstress or anger? You then lit a cigarette to console yourself, relax or even reward yourself. Or maybe the method you’re using to quit smoking isn’t the right one for you. Nicotine substitutes, for example, are effective as long as they are used, but their effect does not last beyond ».
Relapse to better understand your addiction and… break free from it
Have you relapsed and the guilt is eating away at you? Do you feel unhappy? However, even if quitting smoking seems far away, or even impossible, make no mistake: the good news is that you haven’t lost anything. You have even progressed. Managing to free yourself from tobacco remains entirely possible and Christiane Pochulu has listed four lessons that you should be aware of:
- Through these relapses, you have gained experience and valuable lessons. First, your attempts to quit smoking have made you familiar with the symptoms of withdrawal, whether they are physiquesphysiques or emotional, pleasant or difficult. You also understand that, although this is a delicate step, it is only temporary.
- You have successfully identified your triggers: these happy or painful events, often linked to intense emotions, which reignited your desire to smoke and led to the relapse. You are now much more aware of your vulnerabilities in the face of cigarettes and the traps it sets for you. She seemed like a good friend, always present and available, but you ended up understanding that in reality, she is an enemy who means no good to you.
- You have had the opportunity to think about the action plan you had chosen: did you follow it to the letter, especially if it had been established with your GP or a tobacco specialist? Was it well suited to your situation? Did you receive the necessary support? Answering these questions makes you more aware to avoid the pitfalls of smoking.
- You now know that you were able to quit smoking, you have proven it. So, get back on the path of adventure!
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